Starry Night
by Sivaroobini Lupin-Black
Summary: Written by torchlight and starlight on a little island. Five instances in which the stars mingle with the lives of men, namely, the Marauders.


Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to Warner Bros, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Heyday/1498 films, JK Rowling and Raincoat books. I don't lay any claim to it. Really, if I owned Sirius...

Author's Note: Since my dad's a member of The Astronomical Society of Singapore, we often go on little stargazing trips, but that's hard due to the light pollution in urban Singapore. We could drive to Malaysia, or we could take a cheaper but no less fun option and take a ferry to a tiny island used as a landfill called Pulau Semakau, just off the coast, where the lack of urbanisation means no light pollution. We get the fun of a campout plus an astronomy session.

This was thus inspired by one of those trips, and written by starlight and torchlight on a camp stool, as every now and then I craned my neck or lay back on the ground to take in the sight of the multitudes of stars, especially my favourite section of sky, the bit with Orion the hunter and his two hunting dogs, not to mention my favourite star Sirius. Now, on with the story! That is, if anyone actually bothered to read this.

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**Starry Night**

The Forbidden Forest is only a darker shape against the midnight sky, the inky expanse of which is broken by the light of hundreds of stars, sprinkling the sky like sugar thrown over black velvet. The silence of the night is broken by an excited voice.

"Look, that's –"

"Sirius."

"The Dog Star."

"Brightest star in the sky," his third companion finishes. "_Yes_, Sirius, we _know_, you've pointed it out to us during every single Astronomy lesson we've had."

Sirius grins, his face lighting up like his namesake. "We've only had three so far."

"That's three too many with you in my class," James breaks in.

"I suppose you think that's funny."

"I know I'm funny."

"He is."

"Thank you, Peter."

Remus watches them, feeling left out somehow. He'd come to Hogwarts determined to keep to himself, do well and keep his secret. Now here he was, breaking the rules, star-gazing with three people who knew what he was. Not that what they were doing now could be counted as star-gazing.

"I thought we came out here to do some Astronomy of our own," he ventures.

"Why, that we did. Pray instruct us, Professor Lupin."

Remus flushes, but grins. "See those three bright stars in a row? Only, if you look really closely you can see that the last one is offset a bit? That's Orion's belt. And that – "his finger traces the outline of a constellation, "is Orion the hunter. Look, that's his sword."

James turns over so that he is lying on his stomach, causing a brief scuffle over the blanket. "Why's he called the hunter?"

Remus shifts, trying to get comfortable between hard ground and one blanket as he slips into what Sirius has dubbed his 'teacher-mode'. "Well –" he begins.

~*~

In the crisp wintry air, the stars look clearer than usual. Only one area of the midnight sky is not pinpricked by starlight, and that is because it is dominated by the bright, large full moon.

There is the faintest noise, as well-padded paws thud lightly on the snow. There is slightly more noise as a magnificent stag canters after the wolf and dog. Tiny pink paws flail wildly as the rat scurries to keep up.

They halt in a small clearing, and as one look up, towards the starlit sky. The starlight is reflected in their bright eyes. The dog jerks his head towards the brightest star in the sky, giving a small bark. Then the wolf throws back his head and howls at the moon.

~*~

Moonlight streams through the window, illuminating the crib in the middle of the room and its peacefully sleeping inhabitant. Lily sighs in relief.

"I thought he'd _never_ get to sleep."

James laughs. "Apparently your bedtime stories are more boring than mine." He ducks as his wife half-heartedly aims for his head.

They walk over to stand by the window. Outside, it is a beautifully clear starry night. James laughs again, softly, but Lily picks up the sad tone and looks at him questioningly.

"I still remember that time in first year when we went stargazing by ourselves for the first time. Padfoot was pointing out the Dog Star as usual and Moony was all _professory_, if that's even a word, and Wormtail was soaking it up. After that we tried to go as often as we could. Once a month at least. Padfoot never failed to point out the Dog Star, as if we could miss it. And I don't know when we'll be able to just get together and laugh loudly in peace now." He suddenly grins and points. "Speak of the Devil."

Outside, the Dog Star shines brightly among the multitudes of stars. Lily makes a face. "I prefer the Pleiades myself. And Andromeda. You know, I loved Greek mythology as a child." She sighs. "I do wish you'd agreed to Perseus as his middle name."

James groans. "One prophecy of doom is quite enough for any child of mine, thank you." His arms tighten around his wife as he turns towards the stars again. "Beautiful, isn't it? Even Voldemort can't take this away from us."

And despite the prophecy, the war and the imminent dangers, for the first time in a long while, they feel at peace.

~*~

Azkaban cells have high, smooth stone walls and no ceilings; the cells are open to the sky, with nothing but wards and Impenetrable Charms between the prisoners and the elements, as if to taunt them with the idea of freedom, the sight of the boundless sky.

It is a clear night, and the sky is sprinkled with multitudes of stars, as they were on another autumn night many years ago. Sirius, the Dog Star, shines brightly amongst its fellows.

Sirius Black lies slumped against cold, grimy stone. Sunken eyes in the gaunt, waxen face slowly turn upwards until they fix on his namesake, the Dog Star. A ghost of a smile tugs at the corners of dry, cracked lips as memories surface.

Five years with the weekly ritual of pointing out Canis Major during Astronomy lessons. Seven, no, almost ten years of the four of them gazing at the stars together.

The Dog Star winks at him, its blue-white light oddly comforting. White. The colour of purity.

_I am pure. I am innocent._

~*~

Even in human form, werewolves can move silently. Remus pads out of the dark bedroom, glancing back at his sleeping wife and her growing belly.

It is only early autumn, but a chilly breeze blows across the small, yet neat, garden. Remus tugs the threadbare coat closer around himself, gazing across the inky expanse of the night sky. Stars twinkle back at him in what seems to him an inordinately cheerful manner.

Remus remembers clearly the time when all four Marauders huddled under a blanket and tried to count the stars. Their number has dwindled, but the stars' hasn't.

As he stares up at the multitudes of stars in the boundless sky, despite his growing family in the cottage, Remus feels very small and very alone.

~*~

Four boys huddle under a blanket on the grounds of Hogwarts, listening to mythology and trying to count the stars. Four men – or is it three? – gaze at the stars during the war, trying to find strength. Three men across the continent look upon the same stars, thinking of absent friends. Two men huddle in hiding, searching the stars for hope. One man stands in his garden, comparing the stars of today to the stars of yesteryear.

Four graves lie peacefully; four headstones are bathed in starlight.

~*~

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Similarities to** i. write. fic. not. tragedies**' _of the night_ are accidental, although I do recommend it. Reviews would be much loved!


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